NEW Summer Snow
by WhiteRoseMarie
Summary: It was always the three of them against the world, but now that Harry and Ron were missing, Hermione finds herself in her toughest challenge yet. With a life-threatening mission and a prejudiced ex-deatheater partner, it would be a miracle if she managed to save the Wizarding World. And miracles can be deadly affairs...
1. Run

**A/N: Just a quick background, I have actually published this story before but it was left incomplete so I have decided to restart it afresh. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Run**

Sunlight poured through the thick canopy of the forest, lighting up the dense undergrowth and providing a means of vision. The air was filled with a scent, musky and crisp but calming at the same time. It was a scent that could put you to sleep or sharpen your senses. A silence loomed over the forest, with the occasional flutter of leaves from birds taking flight from a tree branch, or a snap of a twig from a scrambling squirrel.

In the distance, crashing sounds could be heard, followed by the sound of rustling leaves under running feet. Occasionally, grunts and gasps were let out, ragged breaths and gulping of air accompanying them.

Hermione ran as fast as she could, not really seeing where she was running. The forest floor was uneven, ragged and bumpy. Thus she kept her sight on the ground below her, watching where she was running so as to not trip and get caught. She could sense the snatcher get closer and closer and she flung a hex over her shoulder, hoping it would hit her intended target. But alas, it merely struck a tree trunk, in no way hurting or slowing down the snatcher. She had lost sight of Harry and Ron, though she could hear their grunts somewhere in the distance behind her. She couldn't think of them now.

 _Run. Come on Hermione, just run as fast as you can._

Thoughts along those lines constantly echoed in her mind, her only pushing factor which prevented her from stopping to take a breath or look for her two best friends. She knew if she slowed down, she would get caught. And if she got caught…

 _No._

 _She would not think of that._

 _Only one thing was important at the very moment._

 _Run._

 _Run._

 _Run._

She cast another hex over her shoulder as she pushed her tired feet to run faster. The rustling of leaves was still there, though less audible now. Hexes were whizzing past her and hitting trees ahead but she did not let that deter her stamina. She could not slow down. She could not stop.

Her thoughts drifted to Harry and Ron. She was so tempted to turn and see if they were fine. If they were caught and she wasn't, she didn't know how she would ever live with herself. She wanted to help them in some way, she wanted to be with them so that they could face, or rather escape the danger together. But she knew she couldn't think about them now.

 _Every man to himself._

She hated that quote and found it unnervingly selfish and oblivious, but it was ironic how it fit the situation at the moment perfectly.

Suddenly, there was silence. Not a snap of twigs or rustling of leaves. No running footsteps or labored breaths. No commanding shouts or determined grunts. Just dead silence. Hermione slowed down to a stop and took advantage of the break in her run to catch her breath. Breathing deeply, she slowly turned around, the sound of her wild heartbeat reverberating in her ears. Her hand clutched onto her wand for dear life and her vice-like grip ensured there was no way of it falling from her sweaty palms.

As she cautiously peered behind her, she saw nothing but the dense yet empty forest. Trees, trees and more trees. But no people. No Harry. No Ron. No Snatchers. Not a person in sight. Hermione wanted to feel relieved, but her worries only grew.

 _How fast and far did she run?_

 _Did the snatchers get Harry and Ron?_

 _Is this some type of trick?_

 _Are they going to suddenly jump out and attack?_

As if on cue, a hand clamped over Hermione's mouth. She let out her loudest scream possible, but it only came out as a muffled grunt as the hand prevented any loud sounds. She tried to raise her wand, but she could feel it be snatched violently out of her hand. Her captor was much taller than her and by the physique; she knew he was a man. She began to kick and scream and punch, trying any sort of violent move to help her escape the arms which restrained her.

An annoyed grunt made its way to her ears as she punched her captor in the ribs. Finally, the arms let go and Hermione staggered forward a bit. She immediately regained her composure but before she could turn around, she felt something hit her in the back, causing a stinging pain to erupt through her entire body. That was when everything went black.

* * *

Hermione groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. There was a throbbing in her head and it took a couple of seconds for her blurred vision to clear. She looked straight ahead to find a white, blank ceiling. Furrowing her brows, she gradually sat up on the bed and looked around her, taking in her surroundings. There was a small wooden cabinet beside the single-sized plain white bed she currently rested on. The room was rather small with cream walls which spotted a few stains and an oak wardrobe flushed against it. There was a window to her right which was partially covered with white, lacy curtains, allowing some amount of sunlight to pour into the scarce room.

It took a few seconds to let everything sink in, but once it did, Hermione nearly went into a mode of hysteria. The last thing she could recall was running through the forest away from the snatchers and being caught and held by someone. Her heartbeat quickened and she desperately looked around for her wand when she suddenly recalled it being snatched from her. Hermione was about to jump off the bed when she heard footsteps from outside the door. Before she could make a single movement, the door creaked open.

"Aah. You're awake."

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief as her jaw fell open. Her breathing became ragged and she could feel herself tipping towards the edge of hysteria and panic. She watched as the person casually leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking at the gawking sight of her. His dark suit was a contrast to his creamy-pale skin and his platinum-blonde hair was almost as bright as his blue-grey eyes.

"M-Malfoy?"

Her tone was as much of a growl as it was a question. But she wasn't that surprised. After he attempted to kill Dumbledore, it was clear Draco Malfoy held his allegiances with Voldemort. He was a DeathEater, of course he would turn her in. A tug of fear evaded her heart as she watched the Slytherin Malfoy slowly walk up to the end of the bed.

"Surprised to see me, Granger?"

His tone was the most condescending and his words came out as a snarl as he made a disgusted face at Hermione. She could feel the rage boil inside her as she glared at her childhood enemy.

"Where am I? Where's Harry and Ron?" She barked at him.

"My my. Someone's got their knickers in a twist." Draco chuckled as he leaned against the foot board of the bed, crossing one leg over the other and stuffing his hands into his pockets. Hermione's anger just rose more as he purposefully watched her with a superior and arrogant look on his face, his eyes twinkling almost in amusement.

"I am not playing games here, DeathEater." Hermione spat.

Draco's entire body tensed up and he stood straight immediately, his hands out of his pockets in fists as he glared daggers at the Gryffindor. However, before he could throw back a nasty insult, another voice could be heard.

"Oh! Miss Granger you're awake."

As Professor McGonagall stepped into the room, Hermione brain went into a frenzy, confused as ever at the bizarre situation she was in.

"Mr Malfoy, how long has she been awake?"

"Not long actually. Couple of minutes or so." Draco replied monotonously, boredom and disinterest laced in his voice.

"Professor! H-He's...He's Draco Malfoy!" Hermione cried out, pointing an accusing finger at Draco.

"You really are the brightest witch of your age." Draco sarcastically muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Yes Miss Granger. I am aware of that." Professor McGonagall calmly spoke.

"H-He's...He's a...He's a Deatheater!" Hermione shrieked.

Draco's body tensed up again and his jaw was tight but Hermione didn't care about that. She was only focused on the fact that a member of the Order and a DeathEater were in the same room and not even hexing each other.

"Yes Miss Granger. But that is not all that he is." Professor McGonagall explained.

Hermione's brows furrowed even more and with a sigh, Professor McGonagall looked down for a second before further elaborating.

"Mr Malfoy was the one who saved you in the forest. He is a spy for the Order."

Hermione felt her throat close up as her favorite Professor spoke, and it felt like she was living in a twisted dream rather than reality. But what she heard next was what really made her feel like she was losing her mind.

"And he is also your new partner."


	2. The Three Coins

**Chapter 2: The Three Coins**

"WHAT!"

Hermione's screech caused Professor McGonagall to wince at the loudness of her voice.

"A mission with Malfoy? Professor that's preposterous. Absolutely absurd. It's...it's ridiculous!"

Hermione was beginning to hyperventilate. She could not believe Professor McGonagall would trust Malfoy, and even ask her to work with him. After all, he did attempt to assassinate Dumbledore. Logically, he was not the most trustworthy person.

"I understand you may find this all rather strange, but I assure you, Mr Malfoy can be trusted. He is a spy for the Order and he can relay very useful information about You-Know-Who's whereabouts and activities. His loyalty is not questionable." Professor McGonagall firmly spoke.

Hermione felt the world had finally come to an end, the dark had finally won. She never thought the day would come that a member of the Order, Professor McGonagall herself, would ever trust and support a Death Eater. One who tried to murder Dumbledore! One who Voldemort trusted a lot and chose to carry out his most vial and dirty work.

As Hermione sat there, letting everything sink in, Professor McGonagall watched her calmly, a wave of sympathy and understanding washing over her. This was very new news for Miss Granger and it was also very big news. Anyone would need time to absorb everything.

Draco, on the other hand, simply leaned against the window sill and stared out with a blank look on his face. It was an exceptionally sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky. Draco watched the street, holding a strange similarity to his life- empty. He was not very bothered about the Granger girl, she seemed to be tipping over the edge of sanity and he really couldn't give a damn. When he heard the filthy Mudblood would be his partner, he first laughed, then threw a tantrum, then sulked and finally just couldn't be bothered. His priority was not the Mudblood, or the Weaselbee or even the damn boy-who-would-not-die. His priority was getting rid of the snake-face bastard, the one who made his life hell, literally. He couldn't remember the last time he was truly happy, he was truly free of all sadness and darkness. He forgot what it was like to genuinely laugh or even smile. Voldemort made him numb and stripped his life of all good, and he would pay.

"Where's Harry and Ron? Did the Snatchers get to them?" Hermione suddenly asked, shaking with concern for her two best friends.

"I'm afraid we don't know. We are not sure of the whereabouts of Mr Potter and Mr Weaseley. They were not taken by the Snatchers most likely, since Mr Malfoy got rid of them."

"You mean Harry and Ron...are missing?"

One solemn nod from the Professor was enough to make Hermione's heart clench painfully in worry.

"We have to find them Professor!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I agree Miss Granger. The Order is working on finding both of them, but though it will be hard, you cannot concentrate on them now. You and Mr Malfoy have a mission. And I need to know you are fully committed to this mission. It will be dangerous and life-threatening, but absolutely essential if we want to defeat Voldemort. So Miss Granger, are you in?"

Hermione looked down at her hands in her lap, which were getting sweaty and clammy as they wrung together. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead as she glanced up at the dark Malfoy. He simply watched her with no trace of emotion or feeling. Though he stared at her blankly, she felt his gaze was burning a hole right through her. She didn't know if she could trust the Slytherin Death Eater, let alone work with him. After almost five minutes of heavy silence while Hermione debated with herself, she finally spoke.

"I'm in."

A faint smile appeared on the Professor's lips and she nodded slightly.

"I knew you would not back down. Well, perhaps I shall leave you to rest for a while. You still look extremely tired and…"

"I'm fine Professor. Now if you wouldn't mind, I would like to know more about this mission, especially the part where I have to work with…him." Hermione firmly spoke, her eyes narrowed at the Slytherin Malfoy.

Professor McGonagall turned to Draco but he just stared at Hermione with disgust and hatred etched on his face. She sighed inwardly at the thought of the two of them working together. She knew they loathed each other, but it was the only chance they had left. Still, facing problems ahead would be inevitable.

Professor McGonagall sat on the edge of the bed and looked down for a second before looking back up at Hermione.

"You, Mr Potter and Mr Weaseley have been on the hunt for Voldemort's horcruxes, am I right?"

"Y-Yes. But how did you…"

"Albus mentioned it to me. And if I am not wrong, three have been destroyed all ready."

"That's right."

"And the three of you were under the impression that to destroy Voldemort, you would have to destroy all the Horcruxes?"

"Yes."

"Well then Miss Granger, I am afraid you were only partly correct."

At this point, Draco yelped out in pain as he clutched his left arm. Hermione could see the dreaded Dark Mark on his arm moving slightly as Draco hissed through his teeth.

"Mr Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall turned to Draco with a worried look.

"Sorry Professor, but I have to…"

"Yes yes I know. Go on then Mr Malfoy."

Draco nodded apologetically to the Professor and without a second glance at Hermione, apparated out of the room.

"What was wrong with him?" Hermione asked once he was out of sight.

"Voldemort is calling out to his followers. And since Mr Malfoy is a spy, he has to go."

Hermione nodded in understanding, recalling something about how Voldemort communicated with Death Eaters through their Dark Mark.

"Right, now where were we? Ah yes. The seven horcruxes. Recently, the Order has found out a bit of additional information about Voldemort. Though he has split his soul into the seven horcruxes, he still took extra measures to ensure he was truly immortal and invincible."

Hermione gulped as her heartbeat picked up pace, she knew this definitely did not sound good.

"What do you mean…extra measures?"

Professor McGonagall fidgeted through her robes for a moment before pulling out a parchment and handing it to Hermione. On it was a drawing of three circles all overlapping each other to form a triangle shape. It was a very simple and vague drawing which made Hermione as perplexed as ever.

"What are these?"

"The Three Coins of Roberta Henson."

Hermione glanced down at the parchment again as her brows furrowed even more. So many questions ran through her mind and Professor McGonagall could see Hermione's confusion.

"Roberta Henson was a Witch who befriended Tom Riddle during his Sixth Year in Hogwarts. She had a keen interest and skill in magical inventions and Tom convinced her to make an invention which could guarantee immortality. Since she was so enamored with Tom, she agreed and created The Three Coins."

"What exactly are The Three Coins? Are they like…horcruxes?" Hermione inquired.

"Not exactly, Miss Granger. You see, at that time Tom had not heard of horcruxes and was still seeking ways to make himself immortal. The Three Coins are more like…a spare life."

"Sorry Professor, but I still don't understand. How do they work exactly?"

Professor McGonagall sighed, knowing that it was going to be hard to explain such a complex theory, even to the smart Hermione Granger.

"When The Three Coins were made, Tom spilled his blood on them and Roberta cast a spell, making it so that The Three Coins, if put in the formation as in the parchment and the same spell said, would be able to produce another form of him. Another life of him."

"But, that doesn't exactly make him immortal."

"Exactly. Which was why Tom later sought the method of using horcruxes. Though he did still use The Three Coins, he abandoned Roberta for her poor use of magic. Roberta was so enraged that she secretly placed a curse on The Three Coins that if they were ever in the same formation and the spell was said, the opposite effect would happen and Tom would be destroyed forever."

"But, won't the horcruxes still…"

"Yes, the horcruxes will still hold his soul, but The Three Coins will be strong enough if his soul is weak, meaning if most of the horcruxes are destroyed."

Hermione looked down and absorbed everything. Three horcruxes had already been destroyed, but was that enough to weaken Voldemort? As if reading her mind, Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"The destruction of three horcruxes would make Voldemort weaker, but the best is for all of them to be destroyed. Still, The Three Coins might be stronger than we suspect, but it is a chance we have to take."

"So the mission…"

"Is for you and Mr. Malfoy to track down The Three Coins. Tom tried to destroy the coins once he found out about Roberta's curse, but he failed. So he placed them in separate places around the world.. You see, the spell can only work if The Three Coins are placed together. You can't destroy them or perform the spell on them separately. And after so long, it has become virtually impossible to track them."

"So, where do we start? The Three Coins could be anywhere. And I am all in for the mission, but why is Malfoy also involved? I understand he is a spy, but still…"

"Miss Granger, only you and him can go on this mission. The reason, I cannot tell you. But all I can tell you is that if you really want to defeat You-Know-Who, you are going to have to work with Mr Malfoy."

Hermione looked disappointed for a second but nodded anyway.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall whispered, placing her hand over Hermione's," I have the utmost faith in you and Mr Malfoy."

Hermione smiled appreciatively as Professor McGonagall squeezed her hand before standing up and walking out the door.

"Rest for a while, Miss Granger. You are going to need a lot of strength for this mission."

As Professor McGonagall walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, she noticed Molly Weaseley standing by the doorway; obviously she had been listening intently.

"Do you really think Hermione and Draco will be able to do it? I mean, in order for them to succeed, they would have to…"

"I know the chances are slim. But at this point, we don't really have a choice. We can only hope Trelawney was right about her prediction. Besides, when was she ever wrong?" Professor McGonagall smiled slightly before making her way downstairs.

Molly watched her walk away and a frown made its way to her face as she thought about Trelawney's prophesy. Professor McGonagall was right. They could only hope now that everything went according to plan.


	3. A Matter of Minutes

**Chapter 3: A Matter of Minutes**

Hermione splashed the cold water on her face as she bent over the sink. It was a great relief to the hot, dry weather but it still did not wash away all the anxiety and premonition inside her. Hermione could not shake the feeling that something ominous was going to happen. Then again, it would be a miracle if nothing bad happened under the circumstances she was in. Especially now that she had to work with a bloody DeathEater. Spy or not, Draco Malfoy had done some really terrible things in the past which she could not simply overlook.

As she walked out of the bathroom and grabbed a towel to wipe her face, she heard the bedroom door open and whipped around to find her least favorite person standing in the doorway.

"What?" She snapped as she glared at the Slytherin.

"Don't have to get all hostile with me. I just came to return your wand." Draco retorted back with his usual snarl. In his right hand was Hermione's wand, which Hermione noticed was dirty and dusty.

"Why is it so filthy?" She questioned as she snatched the wand from Draco.

"What's wrong? At least it matches you."

Hermione glared daggers at Draco as he smirked at her. Even in dark, dangerous times Draco just had to throw an insult.

Just as Hermione was about to throw back a nasty comment, she heard Professor McGonagall's voice from downstairs.

"Mr Malfoy! Miss Granger! Could you please come down now!"

Draco rolled his eyes and turned back around, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he trudged down the stairs. Hermione sighed and stuffed her wand into her pocket before following behind Draco.

Downstairs, most of the Weaseley clan were seated around the fireplace and Professor McGonagall was whispering frantically to Mrs Weaseley.

"Hermione!"

Before she could register what was happening, she saw a flash of bright red and was crashed into by a body.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed as the two girls hugged each other tightly.

The minute Ginny pulled away, Fred and George enveloped Hermione in a big hug, nearly choking her.

"Guys! Oh it's so wonderful to see all of you again!" Hermione beamed happily at her best friends and second family.

"It's great to see you too, Hermione!" Ginny replied, grinning ecstatically.

"I know reunions are a happy matter but at the moment we cannot focus on that. We've called you down here because we know time is running out and you and Mr Malfoy need to start on your mission immediately."

Hermione nodded solemnly at Professor McGonagall and sat down on one of the leather sofa's, her face as serious as ever.

"Right of course."

"Now, we need to think of where You-Know-Who could have hidden the Coins. He definitely would have hidden them well and I doubt he would keep them in London. They could be anywhere in the world." Mrs Weaseley stated.

"Maybe we could find Roberta Henson first. Maybe she knows where the Coins are." Hermione suggested.

"Alright. But does anyone know where Roberta Henson could be?" Ginny asked.

Professor McGonagall thought for a moment before hurrying out of the room, seconds later, she returned with an envelope in her hands.

"This was a letter from Roberta to Tom Riddle. We found it in a Hogwarts vault. There's an address here."

"But that letter was over 50 years ago. How can we be sure she still lives there?" Mrs Weaseley questioned.

"There's only one way to find out."

* * *

Hermione coughed as she walked through the dusty old house. It was run-down in the middle of an island just off the coast of England. Luckily, the fire-system was still connected to the Floo Network, which allowed her and Draco to transport there. As she walked through the broken furniture and cracked wooden planks, she had to squint her eyes to see through the dim lighting. While she explored the living room, her partner was in the dining room, investigating some strange scratches and cuts in the walls. Hermione noticed a portrait hanging on the grey wall. It was tilted and covered in dust. Still, Hermione could make out that the portrait was of a woman in her 30's. The woman had a very angelic and soft face, with blue pristine eyes and thin, pink lips. Hermione could only guess this woman was Roberta Henson but at the moment, she was more keen on finding the actual person than just her painting. However, she knew no one would ever live in such conditions, and her gut told her that Roberta Henson definitely didn't live here anymore.

Suddenly, there was a creak from upstairs which made Hermione swivel around. The stairs looked like they would give way any second but she knew she had to investigate the upper levels as well if she wanted to find clues. As she started to ascend the creaking stairs, she noticed Draco emerge from the kitchen and watch her. He must have heard the creak too. Though Hermione really wasn't bothered about Draco, she still could not ignore how she could feel his presence behind her as he followed her up the stairs.

Upstairs, there was only one room and its door was broken and hanging by the hinge. Hermione took in a deep breath and clasped her wand in her hand just in case of anything. She slowly entered the room and suddenly felt weak in the legs as she took in the sight before her.

On a small, white bed there lay Roberta Henson. She was definitely older-looking than the girl Hermione saw in the portrait. Still, there was some resemblance which confirmed that this was Roberta Henson. Her blue eyes were wide open and as lifeless as ever. Blood stained the white bedsheets as it poured out from the back of her head. Nasty gashes and cuts covered her face and her hands looked broken.

Hermione jumped back in shock and felt her back hit something hard but at the same time soft. She looked back to find deep blue-grey eyes piercing down into hers as her back pressed against a chest. Draco made a disgusted face at Hermione and shoved her away, muttering something under his breath. Hermione had to hold onto the door so that she didn't fall forward from the force of Draco's push.

Draco walked forward towards the dead body as if it was a mere statue. He did not seem affected by the blood or the ghastly wounds. He stared at the wounds and touched Roberta's forehead before pulling away immediately with a slightly panicked look.

"What?" Hermione questioned, looking at Draco in confusion.

Draco did not bother casting a second glance at Hermione as he dashed out of the room.

"Malfoy, what..."

"Shut up!" Draco hissed through his teeth as he darted down the stairs.

He rushed into the fire-place, the Floo Powder in his hand and ready.

"Get in!"

Hermione, not knowing what was going on, stepped in and they transported back to the Weaseley home.

"What was that about, Malfoy!" Hermione yelled at Draco as they stepped out of the fireplace. Professor McGonagall and Mrs Weaseley were discussing in the living room when they noticed Draco and Hermione. Draco looked slightly panicked and Hermione looked confused and angry.

"Did you find out anything? Did you find Roberta Henson?" Professor McGonagall asked in a rush.

"Well, we did find her. Dead, at least." Hermione muttered.

"Dead?" Mrs Weaseley gasped.

Hermione nodded and glared at Draco who was pacing up and down in deep thought.

"I would have investigated more but someone here just freaked out and left."

Draco's head snapped up to Hermione and he snarled at her.

"I did not freak out and leave. You were more scared than me. I left with good reason."

Hermione scoffed and shook her head.

"And what would that be?" Hermione snapped.

"She was still very warm. Too warm."

Everyone was confused by Draco's words, which caused him to roll his eyes.

"It means she hasn't been dead for a long time. She was probably dead for only a few minutes. And I know those injuries and marks on her body. Only one thing could do that, by orders from only one person."

There was a heavy silence as Draco's words sank in everybody's minds. Professor McGonagall was the first to speak up.

"You mean…"

"Voldemort murdered Roberta Henson minutes before we arrived there."


	4. The First Lead

**Chapter 4: The First Lead**

"This is more dangerous than we predicted, Minerva." Molly Weaseley whispered into Professor McGonagall's ear, who in turn gave a small and anxious nod.

"Voldemort might have an idea of our plan. Which is why we need to act fast. The two of you need to find the First Coin as soon as possible." Professor McGonagall spoke firmly to Draco and Hermione.

Hermione nodded seriously though she was as frightened as ever on the inside. Draco on the other hand had a vacant expression on his face as he nodded and looked to the floor, as if he was numb to the fear of anything going wrong.

"Professor, not to digress or anything, but have you any clue where Harry and Ron are?" Hermione quietly and desperately asked. Secretly, she hoped Harry and Ron would be found soon and she wouldn't have to work with the obnoxious Slytherin.

Draco rolled his eyes at the mention of those two names, though he was not surprised that the Mudblood was so concerned for her two stupid friends. After all, vermin had to look out for one another.

Professor McGonagall shook her head and Hermione sighed in disappointment, whereas Malfoy gave a small smile.

"So, anyone has any clue where the First Coin could be? Or at least how we go about trying to figure out its location?" Professor Lupin asked the small circle of wizards and witches.

Everyone went into deep thought, trying to figure out just where exactly Lord Voldemort would hide something as precious as that.

"Hang on."

Everyone turned to Arthur who darted up the stairs and returned a minute later with a big black book in his hands.

"There could be a clue in here."

As he flipped open a book called 'Muggles and Wizards: Two Worlds Collide', everyone gathered around him to find out just what exactly he was looking for. Finally, he stopped at a page with a few highlighted paragraphs in it. Arthur skimmed through the page and landed on one small paragraph, holding his finger there and reading it out.

"It has been recorded in history that a particularly unique coin was found by Muggles and could not be deciphered exactly which currency it belonged to. It had the imprint of a serpent on one side and on the other there was a letter T."

"This must be the coin. A snake for Slytherin. T for Tom. This is one of the coins!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well, what else does it say?" Ginny asked, referring back to the book.

"The coin was passed on all over the world but because no one knew its value or where it came from, it was discarded and never found. That is until a particular Muggle chanced upon it and decided to keep it as a souvenir. It is said the Coin became his family's heirloom and was passed on from generation to generation." Arthur read out as everyone absorbed in all the information.

"Does it say who the Muggle is?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"No." Arthur sighed, reading through the page again.

Everyone let out a sigh of disappointment until Arthur suddenly spoke again.

"Wait! There's something here…" He trailed off, scrutinizing the second paragraph.

"It is said the Coin was found in, and till date remains in…" Arthur suddenly stopped, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Remains where?" Draco impatiently questioned.

Arthur read the same line over and over again for a while. Everyone tried to get a look at the book but their attempts were futile as Arthur held it close to his face. Finally, he closed the book and looked around at everybody uneasily, his eyes falling on Draco and Hermione at last.

"The two of you need to pack your bags. Looks like you've found your first location."

Hermione and Draco looked puzzled at the Weaseley, anticipation and worry filling them.

"And where may that be?" Hermione nervously asked.

"China."


	5. A Really Long Flight

**Chapter 5: A Really Long Flight**

"CHINA?" Hermione and Draco exclaimed at the same time.

Arthur nodded firmly and the two partners stared at him in shock.

"How on earth are we going to find a coin in China!" Draco exclaimed, his face the perfect picture of bewilderment.

"How are we even going to get to China?" Hermione added on, wringing her hands together anxiously.

"You could use our Flying Car." Ginny suggested.

"You want us to fly a car to China?" Draco snapped, causing the red-head to glare at him.

"No, it's too dangerous. The chance of you two being found by Death Eaters is too high if you use magical transportation. Right now, they are on our every move so you have to act under discretion and use as minimal magic as possible." Professor McGonagall explained.

"This is absurd, there's no way!" Draco shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"I knew you wouldn't be committed to this mission." Hermione muttered under her breath, but just loud enough for Draco to hear.

"What did you say? Are you questioning my commitment?" Draco glared at Hermione and she crossed her arms defensively.

"Tiny bit of challenge and you're ready to throw in the towel. Or perhaps it's because it's easier being on the other side, blindly following that snake's orders-"

"How dare you, bloody excuse for a-"

"Enough!"

The two turned to Professor McGonagall, their faces flushed with frustration and anger.

"If the both of you keep fighting like this we might as well surrender to You-Know-Who right now. You two made a commitment to accomplish this mission and work together. Now it's too late to turn back."

Hermione and Draco took a couple of deep breaths to calm themselves as they glared daggers at each other. One could almost feel the hatred in the room, heavy and thick.

"Now where was I? Oh yes. You will have to use Muggle Transportation. No, I don't want to hear it Malfoy. You will fly to China by an airplane as per the Muggle custom with Miss Granger. Understood?"

Draco nodded in defeat and Hermione grunted in frustration quietly.

This was _not_ going to be an easy mission.

* * *

"Do you have your passport?" Hermione asked Draco for the umpteenth time as they waited in the queue for boarding.

"Yes I have my passport. It's right here." Draco retorted, holding up his wallet.

"That's your wallet, you idiot. This is your passport. The little book of personal information." Hermione replied in annoyance, holding out her small passport book.

Draco looked through his backpack until he found the book.

"Stupid Muggle customs. Why must we have this anyway?" He grumbled.

"Mr Weaseley got these for us so that we could prove our identification and get through. He put a charm on it that made the passport look real to the officer so that we could board the plane." Hermione spoke slowly as if talking to a child.

"Whatever."

After a few seconds, Draco spoke again.

"Why is this line so bloody long? I should be in the front. I'm a Malfoy! Malfoys don't wait." He grumbled.

"Would you shut up and just wait." Hermione snapped.

"How dare you talk so imprudently to me! I would blast you to smithereens if we weren't surrounded by these dim-witted Muggles." Draco haughtily replied, looking around at the multiple travelers in disgust.

"Passports please." The officer asked, holding out his hand.

Hermione snatched the passport from Draco and gave it to the officer with her own. As he opened the book, Hermione and Draco prayed the charm worked.

"All looks fine here. You two enjoy your trip now." He smiled and handed the passports back to Hermione, moving aside to let the two pass.

"Muggles are seriously so thick." Draco spoke under his breath.

"Compared to you they're as thin as a hair." Hermione rebutted, a small smirk on her face as Draco glared at her.

As they made their way to their seats, Draco looked at the seat in horror.

"This is where I have to sit for nearly 15 bloody hours!" He exclaimed, crinkling his nose in disgust at the narrow blue seat.

"Would you rather sit in the lavatory?" Hermione snapped as she sat down.

"Wait I have to sit with you? No, I'm sitting somewhere else. Where's the Plane Elf?"

"Are you seriously that dumb Malfoy? There are no Plane Elves in the Muggle World. And you can't choose another seat because all the other seats are taken. Now just sit down!" Hermione hissed.

With a grumble, Draco plopped onto the seat and let out a small grunt.

"What in Merline's name is this?" He questioned as he held up the metal seatbelt.

"Oh gosh…" Hermione sighed and leaned over to buckle Draco's seatbelt.

"What are you doing? Get off me! Why are you strapping me to this stupid uncomfortable chair. Isn't sitting in it besides you torture already?" Draco whined.

Hermione grunted and sat back, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

Something told her this was going to be a _really_ long flight.


	6. Up In The Air

**Chapter 6: Up in the Air**

It had been 5 hours and nearly the entire plane was asleep. It was only the evening and through the windows you could see the magnificent orange-pink sky through the patches of fluffy white clouds.

Hermione was leaning against the window, her chin resting on her palm as she tried to count the clouds. It was mostly to get her mind off the imminent troubles ahead but it was to no avail. Her thoughts kept wandering to Harry and Ron and whether they were safe, or even alive. She could not stop thinking of Hogwarts and the doom Voldemort was bringing to the Wizarding World. As she turned and looked around the plane, she recalled the phrase _Ignorance is Bliss_ , and could not agree with it more. All these innocent and clueless Muggles had no idea about the disastrous war which was taking place in their parallel world.

Draco was asleep, but that didn't mean his mind was anymore peaceful. He was having the most terrible nightmare about Voldemort finding him in China and killing his mother before him. That was Draco's biggest fear. He cared for his mother the most in the world and if anything happened to her, he didn't know how he could ever live with himself. She was a loving woman, the only problem was that she was married to that bastard Lucius Malfoy. Draco had hated his father from birth, mostly because of the way he treated him and his mother. But he had no choice but to respect him or he would get the Cruciatus Curse. The act he put up that his father was the best was, all in all, just an act in the end.

Suddenly, the plane dipped low which caused everyone to wake up with a start.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we are going through a bit of turbulence so please ensure you are in your seats and your seat belts are fastened. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Draco scowled at the air-stewardess as he rubbed his stiff neck. Muggles really were intolerable wastes of space.

Again, the plane dipped low and it began to shake, which made everyone get a little nervous. This was no normal turbulence.

Hermione looked out of the window and gasped.

"M-Malfoy."

Draco turned and looked out of the window as well, his eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.

Streams of black mist twirled outside the window and Hermione and Draco knew exactly what they were.

"DeathEaters." Draco whispered, breaking out into a cold sweat.

The plane continued shaking as the streams of black mist swirled around it.

Everyone was looking out of their windows and pointing at the mysterious mist. Mothers were trying to calm their crying babies. Husbands were comforting their wives. Some children were clapping in excitement as if it was all a game. Some were praying to live and others were preparing to die.

Suddenly, the plane plummeted and started falling at an unstoppable speed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the captains are trying their best to control the plane but it seems some external conflict is causing the plane to lose its stability. However, we require all of you to remain calm as we try to take control of the problem at hand."

"We have to do something! The DeathEaters are going to make the plane crash and kill everybody." Hermione whispered frantically to Draco as she gripped onto her seat.

Cries of fear and panic filled the plane as the lights went out and the oxygen levels dropped. As everyone tried to scrape at the overhead compartment to release the oxygen masks, Hermione and Draco whipped out their wands.

"We need to get out of here!" Draco yelled over the agonised screams.

"We can't just leave these people to die!" Hermione yelled back, her face as red as ever.

"If we stay in this plane any longer we'll all die!"

Hermione seethed at Draco and shook her head, disgusted that he could be so selfish and heartless. Well, what could she expect from the Slytherin Malfoy...

Hermione desperately tried to think of a spell that could prevent the plane from crashing. But before she could decipher one, Draco grabbed her arm and she felt a strong tug, as if she was being suctioned. She squeezed her eyes tight as her mind became frenzied until she felt like she fell onto a hard surface. Once she opened her eyes, she looked around to find herself in the middle of the Great Wall of China,with Draco standing next to her.

"What the hell is wrong with you! You just left those innocent people to die!" Hermione yelled at Draco who was pacing up and down.

"Oh, so you would rather stay in that plane and die yourself. Be thankful I bloody saved your life. This is the second time in fact!" he shouted back.

"Oh well then next time don't bother! Just leave me to die. At least I'm not a coward!" Hermione screamed.

"What did you call me?"

"That's right. You're a bloody coward with no heart or feelings! You're an empty, cowardly monster!" Hermione shrieked, her blood pressure increasing with every word as she thought about all those people back in the plane.

Suddenly, Hermione felt herself being thrown back and she cried out in pain as her back hit the stoney ground of the Great Wall.

"I may be a monster. I may be a lot of things, Mudblood, but don't ever call me a coward." Draco spoke with venom laced in his voice.

As he walked away, Hermione got up and dusted herself, glaring at his back all the while. Draco didn't want her to call him a coward, but that was what he was.

Only a coward would run away and sacrifice other lives for their own.

Hermione let out a breath as she felt fresh tears spring to her eyes. She continued to watch Draco walk away from her, and in the distance she could see the more crowded area of the wall where there were unsuspecting tourists who were too engrossed with working their cameras to notice them. She then remembered the countless other Muggles she had just left to their death.

For the first time in her life, Hermione felt like a failure.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the short break, went on a holiday for 2 weeks so yeah. But I hope these chaps make up for it!**


	7. Of Smells and Dreams

**Chapter 7: Of Smells and Dreams**

Hermione struggled to keep up with Draco as he hurried down the crowded streets of Shanghai. Muggles were pushing and shoving but Draco had too much on his mind to bother.

"Malfoy! Malfoy, slow down!" Hermione shouted as she jogged behind him to catch up with his long strides.

"Shut up! They could be anywhere!" He turned and hissed in reply , keeping his head low and his eyes darting around, cautious as ever.

Hermione knew he was right and so decided not to snap back. Suddenly, Draco stopped in the middle of the pavement, causing Hermione to crash into his back.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing her nose.

"What's-"

"Shh!"

Draco grabbed Hermione's arm and shoved her into a dim alley. He pressed his body against her's, causing her to be trapped against him and the wall.

Hermione was beyond appalled by this action and was about to reprimand him when she noticed two cloaked figures over Draco's shoulder.

"DeathEaters." She whispered breathlessly.

As they approached closer and closer, she felt Draco press into her more. When she turned her head back, she was eye-level with Draco's collarbone. His black silk suit gave a strangely calm scent of rain and fresh dew drops on grass. Hermione took in a deep breath as the scent invaded her senses and made her mind hazy. Rain was her favourite smell after all.

As Draco placed his hands on either side of Hermione's head, his chin was tickled by her soft curls. He could get a faint smell of vanilla and he could hear Hermione's deep breaths. Normally, he would be disgusted by being in such close proximity of Granger, but this time he felt weirdly comfortable as he could feel the warmth of her body through his suit.

The DeathEaters were closer now and the two partners struggled to keep themselves hidden in the shadows of the dark alley. They could only pray that their positions were not revealed.

Finally, the two followers of Voldemort decided there was nothing suspicious and walked away. Once Draco was sure the coast was clear, he pushed himself away from the wall and from his partner. Hermione let out a sigh of relief as she followed closely behind Draco, keeping a wary eye on the lookout at all times.

Finally, they reached an inn on a side street. The inn keeper was a middle-aged lady with fine wrinkles and a permanent but soft smile. She did not know much English, so it was easy to just sign in a couple of fake names and get their key. Hermione made sure to specify for a room with 2 beds, and then paid the amount that would let them stay for at least 3 nights, though in all honesty they both had no idea how long they would be in this foreign land. Draco found the whole set-up of the tiny inn ghastly, but bit his tongue as he really was not in the mood to have his insufferably partner nag at him.

The 2 quietly made their way to their room and immediately went to bed, for it was already dark and both were far too tired to do any proper thinking.

* * *

Hermione tossed and turned as she perspired profusely. Her breathing was erratic and her brows were tightly knit. She was having the most horrific nightmare.

 _She was standing in the living room of Malfoy Manor. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were standing by the fireplace, the former looking enraged and the latter looking worried. Voldemort was standing in front of them, with Nagini coiled by his feet and a cloaked figure facing him. The figure's back was to Hermione and she could not make out its identity._

 _"Are you sure of this?" Voldemort spoke in his eery voice which sent chills down Hermione's spine._

 _The cloaked figure nodded and spoke, though the voice came out muffled._

 _" As positive as ever, my Liege. The boy is helping the other side. He is a traitor." The figure snarled._

 _Lucius was practically shaking in rage and a few tears rolled down Narcissa's face._

 _"I would have thought your son would be more loyal, Lucius. Especially after all the faith I put in him." Voldemort hissed, venom laced in his voice as he glared at Lucius._

 _"I assure you, My Lord, never would I have thought that Draco would do something like this. He has disgraced me and I am ashamed to call him a Malfoy. Pardon me, My Lord, but Draco is no longer my son." Lucius spat, a grimace plastered on his face._

 _"Well that does not change the situation does it? Draco and the little Mudblood are on a mission of sorts and I know exactly what they are after. They must be stopped, at all costs." Voldemort said, his snake-like eyes narrowed and static._

 _"I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I will make sure Draco is found and punished for his betrayal." Lucius firmly replied._

 _Voldemort nodded and turned back to the cloaked figure._

 _"Well done, you have proven yourself against all odds. But if you pull the same trick as poor, silly little Draco, you will regret the day you were ever born."_

 _The figure bowed a bit and replied in a small voice._

 _"My loyalties lie only with you, My Lord. I hope after everything I have done so far, after how much I have helped, that you recognize my commitment to you, and that my deferment is true. The others are just naive enough to fall for my charade."_

 _Voldemort watched the figure closely, as if assessing it, before giving a small nod._

 _"For your own sake, I should hope so. Good. You may leave."_

 _The figure bowed lowly and apparated out of the Manor with a loud Pop._

 _As Voldemort made his way towards the door, Nagini slithering behind him, he turned to Lucius one last time._

 _"Do not disappoint me again."_

 _With that, he walked out._

 _Lucius took in a deep breath and took a few steps forwards before Narcissa's voice stopped him._

 _"What are you going to do?"_

 _Her voice was so broken that Hermione actually felt sorry for Mrs Malfoy._

 _Lucius turned back to his wife with a completely blank face._

 _"Are you actually...concerned for that no-good lying deceiver?" He snarled._

 _"That no-good lying deceiver is our son!" She snapped back, her eyes narrowed slightly._

 _Lucius walked closer to his wife. Hermione could see the fear in her eyes though she tried to hide it._

 _"He is not my son. He's a traitor who does not deserve to carry the Malfoy name. Our Lord wants Draco punished, and so do I."_

 _"He's just a boy. Just a silly, young boy." Narcissa whispered._

 _"You said that the last time when he had failed to carry out the Dark Lord's mission of murdering Dumbledore. This time, he will pay for what he has done. If that means I have to avenge the Dark Lord myself, then so be it."_

 _With that, Lucius stormed out, preparing to call his fellow DeathEaters to embark on their mission to track Draco._

Hermione gasped as she jolted awake. She could feel her heart crashing against her chest as she tried to breath normally. A million questions raced through her mind. She was as perplexed as ever and her head was throbbing painfully. She turned to find Draco frowning in his sleep. It seemed like he was having a bad dream too. Even from her bed across the room, she could tell Draco was drenched in perspiration.

After a few seconds, her breathing was back to normal and the pain in her head subsided. She laid back down and closed her eyes, rather scared to fall back asleep and become vulnerable to more nightmares.

Finally after a few silent minutes, she finally fell back into a deep slumber, completely unaware that Draco was having the exact same dream.


	8. The Clue

**Chapter 8: The Clue**

"So where do you propose we start?" Hermione asked Draco curtly as she re-checked that she had everything in her little bag.

Draco didn't reply. He was lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. He had had the worst nightmare last night, about his father finding out about his betrayal to the Dark Lord. He was absolutely positive his father was the one who sent those DeathEaters after him. He would not be surprised if Lucius was even part of the attack on the Muggle plane himself.

"Malfoy!"

Hermione's annoyed tone made Draco snap out of his train of thoughts.

"What!" He replied in irritation as he pushed himself to sit up.

"I said, where should we start looking for the First Coin?" Hermione spoke in exasperation.

"You think I know? You're supposed to be the brightest witch of our age. You figure it out!" He exclaimed as he stood up.

Hermione grunted in frustration. She had woken up with the worst migraine and was definitely not in the mood for his attitude.

"We're partners in this, you dolt! We're supposed to work together." She grumbled.

"What is this?" Draco asked out of the blue, with no relevance whatsoever to the current situation. He was referring to the small black box with a glass screen on it, and an antennae sticking out of the top of it.

"Unbelievable! We're in the middle of a war and you're asking what that is? Oh Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed as she smacked her palm against her forehead.

"So what is it?" Draco asked, sort of in a daze as he ran his hand over the box.

"It's a television." Hermione sighed, massaging her temples.

Draco continued running his hand over the screen, wondering what on earth the purpose of this 'television' was. He noticed a small button at the bottom of the screen and hesitantly pressed his finger against it. Suddenly, there was a sound and surge of static which made the hairs on Draco's arm stand. Within 2 seconds, bright colours popped from the screen, causing Draco to jump back a bit in shock.

"Is this the Muggle attempt at magic?" He gasped as he watched the moving pictures on the screen. As he continued watching it, his brows furrowed and a frown embraced his features.

"Oh, for goodness sake's, Malfoy, will you..." Hermione trailed off as she noticed what was being depicted on the screen as well. She went to stand beside Draco as they both watched the Chinese news reporter talk solemnly with the picture of a crashed plane in the middle of the desert depicted beside her head.

Draco and Hermione stared at the dismantled plane on fire. There was no doubt about it, that was the plane they had travelled in. The damage was horrifying. It was split in two, with a wing missing and the tail on the other side of the desert. Everywhere, metal gears and gadgets were strewn haphazardly and various parts of the plane were on fire. It was impossible for anyone to have survived through all of that.

Tears pricked Hermione's eyes as she felt the knowledge weigh down on her shoulders that she was in that exact plane, with her wand, and yet did nothing to help those innocent people. The DeathEaters were after her and Draco, not the Muggles, yet in the end she was still alive, and those people weren't. If only she helped them...wait...

Her head snapped to Draco who was watching the screen solemnly. This was all his fault. He was the one who apparated her out of there before she could do anything to help the Muggles. If it weren't for him, she could have found a way to save everyone and escape the DeathEaters in time. It could have been possible. But Malfoy just had to be his usual selfish way and think of himself first.

"I hope you're happy." Hermione's voice was low and shook slightly as she glared at Draco.

Draco didn't reply. He simply stared at the screen as he watched the flashing images of the crashed plane and even some dead victims found. Hermione examined him, looking for a trace of emotion. His face bore no expression, which made Hermione's blood boil even more.

 _How could he not feel anything at all?_

"That's it."

Hermione squinted in confusion as Draco gasped and his eyes widened.

"What?"

"I think I know where the First Coin is." He replied disconnectedly as he paid close attention to the screen.

Hermione turned back to the television and noticed the news had switched from the plane crash to some tycoon's biography. Images of his lavish house was being flashed and even some pictures of the tycoon himself.

"What makes you think he has it?" Hermione murmured, as perplexed as ever.

"Look at him closely." Draco instructed as a clip of the tycoon during an interview was shown.

"Hermione looked closely and scruinised every detail of his suit until she found it.

There it was.

On the chain hanging around his neck, tucked into his jacket...

A pendant.

But no ordinary pendant...

 _A coin._

With the top of a snake imprint visible.

"That's it!" Hermione gasped.

It had to be it.

It was too much of a coincidence that this man had a chain with a Coin on its end with a snake imprint on it.

More images of his home were being flashed, though the voice-over narration was all in Chinese. His mansion was gigantic, with a fountain in the front, and the living room nearly the size of the Great Hall back in Hogwarts.

A sign board which was titled 'Lotus Estate' was shown, beside the Gates of the mansion.

"That's it. That's where he lives. Lotus Estate. We can try to take a cab there." Hermione spoke enthusiastically as she grabbed her bag and wand.

"Cab?" Draco asked in confusion.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to hurry. Come on!"

* * *

"Wow." Draco breathed as he stepped out of the cab and looked up at the mansion. It was more like a freaking castle! This was definitely at least twice the size of Malfoy Manor, and Malfoy Manor was undeniably huge.

Hermione stood next to Draco as she stared in awe at the mansion as well. She had never seen a house this big and she was pretty sure the inside would be as impressive as the outside.

It was a white mansion with golden gates and a red-brick path leading from the gate to the front doors, through a huge yard. In the middle of the yard was a fountain, where a silver dragon was spurting out water. Needless to say, it was Draco's favorite part of the estate so far.

"How are we going to get in?" Hermione finally asked once she snapped out of her stare.

Inside, she noticed several posh cars parked outside the front doors. She could hear some music coming from the mansion and she noticed lights were put up in some ofthe trees in the lawn.

"There's a party going on inside." Draco said, voicing out Hermione's exact thoughts.

Suddenly, a honk made Draco and Hermione jump in shock. They turned to find a big black car behind them with a young, Chinese lady poking her head through the window. She was looking at them annoyed and opened her mouth to say something. However, before any words could come out...

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Hermione gaped at Draco as he pointed his wand at the lady and yelled the spell, causing her to freeze and fall back into her seat.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you!" Hermione shouted.

"Calm down, Granger. I have a plan."

* * *

"How do I look?"

Draco turned around and his jaw dropped, literally.

Hermione. Was. Breath-taking.

She was in a long cocktail dress which flowed gracefully until the ground and hugged her figure perfectly, showing her soft curves. The deep velvet maroon of the dress contrasted her pale skin greatly, making it look like as white as milk. The dress had a sweetheart neckline which even showed a bit of cleavage, causing a heat to rise within Draco slightly. It was strap-less, which meant her creamy shoulders and arms were bare, making Draco so tempted to touch her skin which appeared as smooth as silk. Her hair was in a bun and small ringlets framed her gentle face perfectly. She wore dark red lipstick which made her lips look so desirable and a subtle brown eyeshadow which made her deep brown eyes stand out even more.

She looked so different.

She looked so beautiful.

Draco had no idea why he was suddenly fancying the annoying girl. He had hated her for so long, but she put on a dress and suddenly all he wanted to do was kiss her.

Wait, what?

No, no that wasn't right. Neither was that true. She just looked good, that was all there was to it. Draco berated himself in his head for thinking he could have potentially had some semblance of a romantic feeling toward her. It was just a physical attraction that would pass once she changed back into her boring normal clothes. After all he was a man, and men liked looking at beautiful things.

"Y-You look great." He answered as smoothly as possible as he cleared his throat.

A blush crawled up Hermione's chest and neck, making Draco even more uncomfortable.

"I don't know about this Malfoy. What if it doesn't work?" Hermione mumbled nervously, pushing a ringlet of hair behind her ear.

"It will work. I'm sure of it. Now come on." Draco quickly replied, not wanting to look at this perfect creature before him any longer. He was so afraid that the longer he looked at her, the quicker he would forget that this was _Granger_ for goodness sake, not some heavenly angel that looked so divine.

 _It's just the dress which is making her look like this. Nothing else. This is just for the plan. This is the same old Mudblood we're talking about. You don't want her. This is just for the plan. She's still disgusting Mudblood Granger on the inside._

All these thoughts kept replaying in Draco's head. He could only pray she could get the Coin quickly so that she could get rid of that stupid dress which made her look so damn good.

"So you know what to do right?" Draco asked Hermione as he handed her the invitation card they 'borrowed' from the Chinese lady who was still unconscious and in Hermione's clothes now.

"Get in, find the tycoon, get the Coin, and get out." Hermione spoke firmly.

"Right. Do it fast. I'll be waiting here." Draco instructed curtly as he struggled to keep his eyes on her face instead of her chest, which was rising and falling greatly as she breathed deeply to calm herself down.

"Alright. I'm going in."

With that, Hermione muttered a spell which made the Gates open and walked in, hoping she could execute this plan effectively.


	9. The Plan in Action

**Chapter 9: The Plan in Action**

"Invitation please?"

Hermione looked up at the tall, muscular security guard as he held his hand out expectantly. She gulped silently and handed over the invitation card she 'borrowed' from the Chinese lady in the car. She knew he would be suspicious of the her as she certainly did not look like a Lim Mei Mei. She had to make sure he did not see the name.

Hermione turned her head to the side slightly and put her hand over her mouth as if she was about to cough. But instead of coughing, she quietly muttered 'Confundus' and then turned back, putting on the most innocent face she could farce.

The stern Chinese man immediately frowned as he continued looking at the card. He then looked back up at her and then back at the card, his eyebrows tight-knit. Hermione smiled and slowly took the card back from him.

"Thank you," She flashed her pearly-white teeth, trying hard not to show a crack of her nervousness as the guard just continued to quietly look at her in confusion. She warily stepped around him, watching him closely and once he finally looked away, she quickened her pace until she was properly inside the mansion and away from the bewitched guard.

Inside all around her, people were drinking, laughing and chatting away merrily. But this was in no way a wild party. There was an air of sophistication, elegance and class. Hermione knew this was a top-notch party, and so she had to act the part. There were all types of people. Chinese, Americans, Indians, Europeans and even Africans. They all looked very cosmopolitan and Hermione could tell this had to be a VERY famous and high-class tycoon to be so popular on a global scale. This just made her ten times more anxious.

She scanned the Grand Hall, looking out for that familiar face she remembered from the news show. Finally, she spotted him near a pillar by the back of the Hall, chatting with some Japanese business-man. Hermione took in another deep breath as she began to make her way towards him. As she reached him, the two men noticed her presence and turned to see her. Both of them were in shock at the radiance and beauty she exhibited, and they both had lust clearly written on their faces.

"I'll catch up with you later, Mr Nasako." The Chinese Tycoon said to the Japanese man, though his eyes never left Hermione.

Mr Nasako seemed rather disappointed that he was just dismissed like that but nonetheless smiled back at the tycoon.

"Right, then, Donghai. Some other time." With that, he walked off.

Donghai _(Hermione had taken note of his name)_ smiled charmingly at Hermione and walked a little closer to her, letting his eyes rake over her tantalizing body. Hermione took the chance to really see his appearance. He didn't seem too old, probably in his mid-twenties. He was rather well-built in a very smart, sheer black suit with a golden tie. He was actually rather dashing, which Hermione scolded herself for thinking since that was totally not the point of the plan. His entire demeanour made him appear like a down-right gentleman, but his lust-filled eyes contrasted that.

"I believe we haven't met before?" He asked with a raised eyebrow though the flirtatious smile never left his face.

"D-Don't you remember me, Donghai?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice as light as possible.

"I believe no, because if we have met before, I would have definitely remembered you." There was a hint of teasing in his voice which was heavily laced with desire.

"I am truly disappointed you would not remember me when we met so recently." Hermione teased back, giving him a small smile as she tried her best to act casually.

"Recently? Oh my, I must be growing old that I'm losing my memory so fast!" He laughed, shaking his head slightly.

Hermione laughed along, not really knowing what to say next. She was not very pleased with the way he was looking at her. In any other circumstance she would have told him off for his utter lack of respect and discretion, but that would not bode well given that she needed him to _not_ throw her out of the party.

 _Stupid Malfoy with his stupid plan._

"But seriously, I would love you know your name. I'm sure it is just as beautiful as its owner." He smiled cheekily at her as he moved even closer.

Hermione smiled back shyly and pushed some hair behind her ear, looking down bashfully as he attempted to place his hand on her waist. Normally, she would knee a guy in the groin if they tried to pull that move within 5 seconds of meeting her, but she knew this was supposed to happen for the plan to work.

As he held her waist and moved even closer, smirking down at her and taking a deep breath through his nose of her lovely vanilla scent, Hermione noticed something shiny around his neck hanging down into his shirt. She raised her head just a fraction to look down the shirt of his suit and saw the top of something round and silver.

 _Bingo._

By now, Donghai had his arm wrapped around her waist and was moving his face along the curve of her neck, his lips teasing her skin. _Wow, this man has really poor self-control_...Hermione thought.

"Um, Donghai, why don't we go somewhere more private... to chat." Hermione whispered into his ear, quickly adding on the last part so that he would not get any funny ideas, as she placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him pointedly.

Donghai raised an eyebrow and smirked approvingly before tightening his arm around her waist and leading her up the stairs. All the while, Hermione had her eye on the silver chain around his neck. She just had to keep him distracted until she could steal the chain and just get the hell out of there.

She was so caught up in her plan that she did not realise she was already standing on front of Donghai's bedroom door.

"Let me tell you, not many women have been in here. I only let the crème de la crème in. And you definitely qualify for that category." Donghai's voice was husky as he stared at her chest which was heaving rather heavily as Hermione breathed nervously. She blushed and even felt rather violated as his eyes never left her cleavage, but she could not react now. She still needed to be on his good side.

Donghai pushed his door open to reveal the most lavish bedroom Hermione had ever seen. The floor and walls were pure, white marble which looked brandished and polished. The French windows were covered by heavy dark velvet curtains and by it there was a full mahogany wardrobe. Smack in the middle of the room was a huge circular bed with crisp white covers and red and golden pillows. This was even better than any hotel room she had ever seen.

Suddenly, she felt a hand curl around her own and jumped slightly at the contact.

"Whoa, you seem rather jumpy. Though, I cannot say I don't like it." Donghai grinned at Hermione and pulled her gently towards the bed.

 _Come on, Hermione, you're supposed to be in control here._

Hermione smiled at Donghai though on the inside she was bursting at the seams. She thought quickly, willing her usually-smart brain to come up with some idea before this revolting character tried anything with her. She deliberated stunning him or using the Confundus charm but he had his personal security guards outside the door, and it was too risky as long as they were there.

Suddenly, Hermione noticed something on the desktop which gave her an idea.

"So you never got back to me about our deal?" Hermione confidently spoke, letting go of his hand and putting both of hers one her hips, feigning irritation.

"What?" Donghai was completely caught off guard by her change in tone, and in fact seemed more scared than confused given her rather intimidating stance in front of him.

"Tell your guards to get lost and I'll tell you what." Hermione folded her arms and squared her shoulders, nudging her head in the direction of the 2 men who were looking at her rather displeased.

Donghai got off the bed and looked at her in bewilderment.

"And why should I do that? I don't even know you, or this deal you're talking about." Donghai started to sound angry, which made Hermione start to panic a bit internally.

"You not remembering me is not my problem. We had a deal, and unless you want your little friends to know about that, I suggest we have this discussion in full privacy."

Hermione had pointed to the rather questionable white substance that the tycoon had foolishly left exposed. He looked at what she was talking about and tensed up visibly.

Still, he turned back and shrugged, trying to come off unfazed.

"Your threats won't work. They know everything. And they stay."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, "Are you sure they know _everything_? Because as I seem to recall, our deal was strictly between the 2 of us, you guaranteed me that. And if you can't stick to that, well then I'd be more than happy to terminate everything and send my people over to-"

"No, wait. Fine."

Hermione smiled as Donghai spoke in Chinese to the 2 guards, making them hesitantly but surely leave them both to their privacy.

In all honesty, Hermione had no idea where she was going with what she was saying. She just figured she would keep the act up as long as it took for him to finally succumb. It was apparent Donghai had a bit of a drug usage situation, and as far she knew, drugs were illegal in China. With him being a highly established tycoon with a reputation on the line, she knew it would be the perfect avenue for blackmail, all thanks to his stupid carelessness in leaving his disgusting habit lying around.

"Now, this deal, you need to refresh my memory because I really-"

Donghai stopped short as Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders, getting closer to him.

"We can talk about the deal later." Hermione whispered sultrily as she slowly started pushing him backwards. Donghai seemed to forget about the situation at hand as she looked down at her lips, his own curving into a small smirk.

"This is why you wanted the privacy? Sweetheart, you could have just-"

"Shhhh," Hermione placed her finger over his lips as she pushing him down onto the bed. Hovering over him, she bent down so that her mouth was next to his ear, making Donghai clutch her waist.

"Dormetro Altisus."

Hermione lifted her head and watched the tycoon who was getting rather excited just a few seconds earlier, fall into a deep slumber. Hermione had recalled the spell as the one Dumbledore used during the Triwizard Tournament on her for the Second Task. It was rather difficult but Hermione had practiced it a couple of times with Crookshanks whenever she got cranky.

Hermione sighed in relief that the spell worked and climbed off of Donghai. Carefully, she leaned over him and unclasped the chain behind his neck. She knew he was in too deep sleep to notice her movement but she was still cautious as ever, in case her spell was unstable or not strong enough to last significantly.

Finally, she got the chain off and clasped the coin in her hand. Hermione couldn't stop smiling as she glanced down at the First Coin.

 _She actually did it!_

 _And she didn't even need Malfoy..._

Well technically that was a lie since it was after all his idea, but still, she was the one who executed the plan and actually succeeded in getting the coin so in all honesty, it really was _her_ achievement.

Hermione placed the coin carefully into her little sling-purse which she had 'borrowed' from Lim Mei Mei. She glanced back at the sleeping tycoon and shook her head.

"Pervert."

Hermione slowly opened the door and discreetly exited the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her. She could see the 2 guards standing a distance away, looking down at the party below. The staircase she had come up from was past them, so Hermione wracked her brain as to how she was going to do this. She couldn't just stupify them, that would cause too much of a raucous. Using any kind of spell on them would be too obvious as they were in the vision of other people as well. So she decided to just do it the Muggle way.

The brightest witch of her age decided to tip-toe behind the 2 enormous guards.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that she was wearing high heels which were not the softest shoes ever. One of the guards noticed her and turned around, nudging the other one as well. They both looked alarmed to say the least.

"Uhm, Donghai's just washing up." Hermione quickly lied, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

The guards looked at each other and then bolted to Donghai's room. Hermione was rather surprised that one of them didn't stay behind to prevent her from running off, though she couldn't complain.

Donghai sure did not have the smartest guards...

The moment they entered the bedroom, Hermione dashed down the stairs, cursing Lim Mei Mei for her long dress and high heels. Once she reached the bottom, she kicked off her heels and pushed through the crowds, running as fast as she could for the front door with the chain held tightly in her hand.

"Stop that girl!"

Hermione did not bother to turn and look behind her, she knew the security guards were coming after her. She tried to run even faster and some guests tried to stop her but she just shoved past them. Finally, she reached the front door and the security guard she had placed the confundus charm on earlier looked at her in shock and anger.

Clearly the spell wore off.

By the look on his face, she knew the message of her being wanted was being relayed to him through his earpiece.

He was about to grab her when she immediately whipped out her wand and threw a hex at his face, causing him to fall unconscious to the ground. Gasps elicited from all around her and even some cries of shock and terror. Hermione blasted the door open and ran out of the mansion towards the front gates where Draco was casually leaning against a tree, picking at his nails.

"Malfoy!"

Draco's head snapped up at his name and what he saw truly befuddled him. Hermione was running towards him, her dress and hair a mess and her feet bare. Behind her were 5 security guards, running fast to catch up to her and some guests gathering outside the house to watch the drama.

 _Merlin, can this girl do anything right?_

"Run!" She yelled as she darted towards him and grabbed his hand, pulling him along.

"Granger! You can't do anything, can you? Do you have the Coin at least?" He shouted, now running as fast as possible with Hermione away from the security guards.

"Yes, now come on! Apparate us away from here!" Hermione yelled back.

Draco pulled her to a stop and gripped her hand, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to catch his breath. Before they knew it, they were standing in the room they stayed at earlier, except this time, it was absolutely destroyed and trashed.

The curtains were ripped and the windows were shattered. The bedsheets were sprawled on the floor and the bed had cuts and even some burn marks on it. Broken furniture bits and pieces lay across the floor and the television set was smashed in. Draco looked around the room and knew only one thing could cause such destruction and damage.

DeathEaters.


	10. Fortune Cookies

**Chapter 10: Fortune Cookies**

"We need to get out of here, right now."

Hermione turned to Draco as he looked around the room solemnly, and she swore she could see a glint of fear in his metallic eyes.

She knew his intentions, she knew he was speaking in their best interest; they had to keep moving to stay away from the Death Eaters since they were hot on their trail. But the combative and reasoning part of her mind just had to kick into action.

"But where? We have the first coin, but how on earth are we going to find the second one? We can't just head off somewhere with no idea where to go next." She debated.

Draco finally looked her in the eyes, a sneer gracing his lips.

"Unless you want to stay here and wait as bait for the Death Eaters, I suggest you shut your yap and just listen to me."

The Gryffindor had nothing to reply, causing the Slytherin to smirk.

"Good."

Draco scurried around the room, grabbing whatever stuff they had which was still intact; which thankfully included their passports and Hermione's little bag of handy tools. Hermione took this time to quickly transfigure her clothes into something...less glamorous. Finally, once the both of them were ready, Draco wordlessly dashed out of the room. Hermione just followed behind him, knowing that at the moment, he knew what he was doing and she knew better than to question him.

* * *

As they hurried down the busy streets, they kept their heads low and their eyes darted in all directions to look out for any sign of _them_.

Suddenly, Hermione grabbed Draco's sleeve and yanked him into a nearby café.

"What the bloody hell-"

"Shh!"

She headed straight to the back of the café and dropped down into a booth, shoving Draco forward as well so that he sat down opposite her.

"Will you tell me what the heck is going on?" Draco snarled in a hushed tone.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was feeling hungry. What do you think is going on? Look!"

She pointed out of the front window of the café, where Draco turned to look and finally realized what she meant.

Three Death Eaters, looking around frantically.

 _Wait a minute.._

 _He knew them._

They were close friends of his father.

Uncle Rookwood, he used to take care of Draco whenever his father was at work. He would tell him stories of his times at Hogwarts.

Uncle Carrow. He used to give Draco a chocolate frog every time he visited. And he told the funniest jokes which never failed to make him laugh.

Uncle Crabbe. Whenever Vincent came over to Draco's house, his father would join him and teach the two boys all sorts of spells, even some non-verbal ones in their earlier years. He always looked out for Draco, always defended him when his own father got too abusive. He always protected him.

Draco felt tears prick his eyes as he watched the three men who used to care for him so much try to hunt him down.

 _No_.

He would not let his emotions get the better of him. He forced back his tears and cleared his throat as he turned back to Hermione as nonchalantly as possible.

But Hermione was sharp, and _very_ observant.

She could see the grief in his eyes as he watched the 3 Death Eaters, she could tell he was very upset. But she bit her tongue before she asked him something; she knew he was not one to openly discuss his feelings or what was on his mind.

But it shocked her, nonetheless. Very rarely had she seen him display such…human emotion. For 7 years she always presumed he had no heart, no emotions. But here he was, tearing up in despair.

 _He had such cold, blue eyes,_ Hermione thought.

Ones which looked rather stony and stormy, but this time she noticed how they turned warm for a brief moment.

 _How strange_ , she pondered.

"What are you staring at, Granger?"

His snarl snapped her out of her thoughts as she noticed him glaring rather uncomfortably at her.

 _Oh gosh, did Malfoy just catch her staring at him?_

"N-Nothing. I was just wondering where to go from here." She quickly covered up.

It was so obvious she was lying, and Malfoy merely cocked an eyebrow at her, giving her the " _yeah right_ " look.

"And admiring my good looks would help you how?" He smirked haughtily.

Before Hermione could throw back a witty comment, one which would surely insult him, an old lady staggered up to their table.

"Fortune cookies?" She asked in a heavy Chinese accent, smiling toothlessly as she held out a bowl of light-brown crisps.

Hermione smiled back politely as she took one. She had always loved Chinese food. But Draco on the other hand; he grimaced at the cookies and just looked away. This upset the poor old lady, whose big smile started to fade at his rejection.

"Malfoy! Don't be rude and just take one." Hermione reprimanded Draco openly.

The Pureblood shot her a glare and replied, "I don't accept anything from filthy muggles." At the last word, he shot the old lady a dirty look.

"Ow! Bloody hell Granger!" He yelped as he clutched his right leg which had just been kicked by Hermione.

She just gave him a pointed look and nudged her head slightly in the direction of the old lady. Malfoy scowled as he turned to the lady and then looked at the bowl of cookies. With a huff, he took one and looked away immediately without even acknowledging the old lady, the scowl still ever-present on his face.

The elder merely smiled at him and hobbled away, muttering something under her breath both Draco and Hermione couldn't quite understand.

"What is this damn thing anyway?" Draco questioned as he looked suspiciously at the cookie.

Hermione bit into it and spoke as she munched away, "It's a fortune cookie. A common Muggle Chinese snack. Just try it Malfoy."

Draco looked at it a little longer, and then looked at Hermione who was crunching away on it. She didn't look sick or deadly, so it couldn't have been poisoned, or even that bad.

 _What the heck._

He popped the whole thing into his mouth and started crunching away. It wasn't too bad actually. Crispy, yet savoury. Rather satis-

"BLECK!"

He started spitting out his cookie, reaching into his mouth to slowly take out a small piece of rolled-up and chewed-up paper.

"What in Merlin's beard is this crap?" He exclaimed, sneering at the piece of paper.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she daintily took her fortune out of the cookie once she had eaten enough of it.

"There's a reason they call it _Fortune_ cookie, Malfoy. Every cookie holds a fortune for its eater. Just open it and read it."

Draco nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity of what Hermione was saying.

"Seriously, this was what Muggles did? Stuff pieces of paper into cookies and claim them to hold the destiny of whoever ate the cookies? Absolutely bonkers these bugs are!"

Hermione didn't reply. She merely scowled at him as she unrolled her fortune.

Draco was thoroughly amused, and decided to read his "fortune" just for the fun of it.

As he read over the tiny print of words, the amused smirk on his face slowly faded away.

"Malfoy?"

He started breathing heavier and heavier as he read over the same few words again and again.

"Malfoy, what's wrong? What does it say?"

Suddenly, Draco looked up and started looking around the café frantically, as if looking for someone.

"Malfoy!"

Finally, he turned his attention to Hermione, who was looking at him with a look of utter confusion and even a bit of worry. He had paled considerably and was even starting to sweat a bit.

"Where did that old lady go?" He asked in an anxious voice.

Hermione's brows furrowed even more as she looked around the café once and then back at Malfoy.

"I don't know. Why? What does your fortune say?"

Draco gulped as he handed the little piece of paper to her.

Hermione scanned through it and gasped as she understood what Malfoy was so scared about.

"What do you think this means?" She whispered, her eyes never leaving the paper.

Draco couldn't even be bothered to answer, his heart was beating too fast and his mind was in overdrive.

Hermione then glanced at her own fortune, which was in no way any better than Malfoy's.

"We've got to go." Draco finally spoke, still looking around frantically.

This time, it was Hermione's turn to not answer as she looked at her own fortune message and then at Draco's.

"Granger!"

"Huh?"

Draco had gotten up and was looking down expectantly at Hermione.

"Let's go!"

"Where? Everywhere we go, they always seem to be there. They're too hot on our trail." She replied. Draco was about to argue with her, but then he realized she did have a point.

"Follow me." He finally spoke before dashing out of the café and into a nearby dark alley with Hermione close behind.

Once they were out of sight, he grabbed her arm.

From an opposite alley, the old lady just watched the two partners in crime apparate, a cold and devious smile on her face.

* * *

 **A/N: 10 chapters in, I hope both new and old readers are liking it so far. This is going to be a pretty long story, I reckon 50 chapters or so. So buckle your seatbelts cuz it's only getting juicier from now on ;)**

 **I really appreciate constructive feedback please leave a review, whether you love or hate it so far. I'd really appreciate it as long as there's no nastiness. Thanks xx**

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